The battle of Guadalcanal

The Battle for Guadalcanal was a turning point in World War II because it made the Japanese reconsider their views of the American army. Before this battle the Japanese had thought that the Marines were not trained and were not formidable opponents. The battle took place on the biggest island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese were constructing an airbase on the island at the Lunga Plantation, the flattest point on the island. The Allies knew that if the Japanese controlled that island they would be able to invade Australia. On August 7, 1942 the Americans landed 10,000 soldiers on the island. The landing was unopposed but it took nearly twenty four hours to secure the airfield. There was fierce fighting over the course of the next seven months as the Japanese attempted to push the Marines off of the island. There efforts were futile and by February of 1943 the Japanese had completely evacuated the island. By the end of the operation the Japanese were off the Island and the Americans had a new airbase in the Pacific.